Unite campaign to free Colombian trade unionist Carmen
Mayusa
Unite, the UK’s biggest trade union, has
launched a campaign aimed at freeing imprisoned Colombian trade
unionist Carmen Mayusa.
Carmen Mayusa, a leader of the Colombian
health workers trade union ANTHOC, was arrested back in May 2006
and has since been detained without trial. At the time of her
arrest, Carmen was involved in ANTHOC’s campaigns against the
privatisation of health services and for the human rights of trade
unionists.
Her imprisonment has struck a chord with the
hundred thousand Unite members working across the public services
in the UK and has also won the support of much of the Parliamentary
Labour Party.
The campaign kicked off just before Christmas
2007 with UK MPs and Peers sending a Christmas message of
solidarity to the Colombian trade unionist. Christmas cards
were sent off in their dozens to Carmen at Buen Pastor Women’s
Prison in Bogata via Dr Carlos Eduardo Medllin Becerra.
But the Parliamentary campaign has not stopped
there. 2008 saw a Parliamentary motion – EDM – tabled which calls
on the UK Government “to make urgent representations to the
Colombian authorities to ensure that Carmen Mayusa and all other
trade unionists incarcerated for trade union activity are released
immediately.” Just under half of those Labour MPs able to
sign the EDM have done so.
Unite urges you to write to your MP asking
them to add their support to the motion and to get behind the
campaign to free Carmen. As trade unionists we need to make
our elected representatives aware of the dangers faced by our
fellow trade unionists in Colombia – as well as asking your MP to
sign the EDM you can also urge them to write to Foreign Minister
Kim Howells asking that he make urgent representations to the
Colombian authorities.
You can see the full text of the
EDM here.
Not sure who your MP is? Do a search here.
Download the letter to your MP and
join the campaign to free Carmen.
